I Loved You Once
by EccentricFangirl777
Summary: Maybe, once upon a time, they were the closest of friends. Maybe, once upon a time, they could've fallen in love. But that was the past, and now was the present, and nothing could be truer than the fact that Lucy Heartfilia and Natsu Dragneel hated each other more than anything in this world. High School to College AU.
1. Ch 1: Senior Meeting

**Y'all ever watched _Boys Over Flowers_ or _The Heirs_? The school(s) depicted in this story are heavily based on the schools seen in the two dramas. Also, if you've watched those shows, you are amazing! **

**Disclaimer: Hiro Mashima created and therefore owns the Fairy Tail franchise. All characters do not belong to me, but at least the plot does.**

* * *

A loud _whoop_ resounded across the hallways of the prominent Magnolia High Academy for the Gifted, and all heads turned to the figure at the end of the hall. It seemed to be a short girl with dark cornflower-blue hair, and she still was squealing, jumping up and down in excitement.

A taller girl with bright blonde hair walked over to her, an amused smile lighting up her brown eyes. "What is it, Levy?"

The dark-blue-haired girl— Levy— launched herself, arms wide, to the blonde, who quickly caught her attack-hug. "Lucy," she shrieked, wrapping her arms around Lucy's torso, "I got accepted!"

Lucy laughed, squeezing the excited girl back. "That's great, Levy! We can go there together now."

"I was so worried that I wouldn't get accepted because of that one B-plus I got in PE—" a dark scowl appeared on her face, but it quickly disappeared as she continued, "—but now I don't have to worry about anything!" Levy's eyes glazed over as she lost herself in her own world. "Fairy Tail University, here I come!"

Lucy's mouth twitched at her eccentric friend's actions. Her eyes strayed to a tall, muscular guy with frightening features that steered others away, and a small, almost evil, look overcame her face. She slung her arm around Levy, and she turned around, Levy in tow. Leaning in conspiratorially, Lucy whispered, "You know what this means, don't you, Levy?"

Levy shook her head, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "What do you mean, Lu?'

A positively evil smirk appeared on Lucy's pretty face. "It means, my dear friend, that you," she poked Levy in the cheek, "and Gajeel can now see each other _everyday_ —"

"Oh my god, Lucy, shut up!" Levy hissed, her face burning a bright red. "I don't even _like_ him!"

Lucy thought back to the time when Levy had been forced by one of her teachers to tutor Gajeel in calculus. Levy had vehemently disagreed, but upon promise of extra credit and one homework pass, she had taken it without further question. The first couple days had been filled with whines and complaints from the short girl, even requests for her friend to accompany her to a tutor session to ensure that Gajeel would behave and stop teasing her.

Lucy, of course, had agreed... mostly because she felt that there was something a bit suspicious with Levy's accounts, though she hadn't been able to place what it was at the time.

So she had sat there in the library bored out of her mind, with the only entertainment being Gajeel's sarcastic jabs and Levy's incensed reactions. They were amusing to watch, Lucy remembered thinking, but what had truly captured her interest was when Gajeel actually stopped every once in a while and actually listened to Levy.

Gajeel was a tall, muscular teen, standing out even in large crowds. He was the subject of much controversy, especially since his transfer from Phantom Lord— one of Fairy Tail's many rival high schools— in the nearby Oak Town. Apparently, he had been embroiled in "some pretty deep shit" (Cana's words, not hers) and hightailed out of there before he could be expelled and ruin the Redfox family name.

His tattoos and piercings didn't exactly help the rumors either, but it all never seemed to bother Gajeel; if anything, he seemed to relish in the lack of attention on his person, and the fights he got into lessened when Magnolia students began to ignore him (mostly out of fear rather than disgust). So imagine Lucy's surprise when the feared and infamous Gajeel Redfox carefully listened to the tiny bookworm's instructions, his eyebrows furrowed, eyes squinted, and lips pursed— a look of pure concentration one would not expect on his otherwise apathetic face.

A smile had appeared on Lucy's face as the ribbing subsided and the two quickly lapsed into a system of sorts. She watched as Levy lectured Gajeel, her eyes brightening as she talked, and she watched as Gajeel nodded every so often, his dark eyes losing some of the heat he would usually use to ward off annoying, nosy students. They were lost in their own little world, and Lucy was the intruder, the alien the inhabitants had no idea existed.

And so she left. The next day, Levy, in a flurry of bouncing blue waves and vehement hand movements, had given her quite an earful, but Lucy decided that it was better to keep quiet about the fact that Levy had never acknowledfed her leaving (not even a dark glare or sassy comment or even an angered text message) until that very moment.

She had, however, mentioned the apparent closeness between the two. Really, it was a bit of light, harmless teasing between friends, but Levy's highly defensive reaction only amused Lucy even further. Needless to say, the teasing only worsened from then on, and it didn't help when Mirajane and Cana heard wind about the little tidbit Lucy had accidentally provided them a few days later. The two girls took the teasing into unreasonable levels, and Lucy couldn't help but feel a little bit of guilt over that.

Well... _not really_.

And now, Levy was attending, or, rather, will be attending FTU. This made the trio's matchmaking plans a hell of a lot easier, and Lucy's mind began to whir with possible ways to push them together.

Lucy glanced at her friend. Levy McGarden and Gajeel Redfox. McGarden and Redfox. Hotel empire and nuclear energy. Lucy's mouth twitched. ' _An interesting couple_ ,' Lucy thought. ' _Good thing Levy's parents care more about her happiness over business matters._ '

"Um... Lucy, are you okay?" Levy waved a hand in front of the blonde's face, snapping the blonde away from her thoughts. At Lucy's nod, Levy sighed, shaking her head. "Did you even hear what I said?"

"No, I'm sorry, Lev. What was it again?"

Levy rolled her eyes but hugged her friend's arm. "Congratulations!"

Lucy's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Thanks...?"

She giggled, amused. "You got Eucliffe and co. to work with you!" Levy shook her head in wonder. "Their designs are absolutely amazing, and Dad's been trying to get them to undertake our newest project for months. Honestly, Lu, how'd you manage to do that?"

Lucy shrugged noncommittally. "It's mostly my dad's work, not mine."

"Still!" Levy quickly brightened as her attention turned to a spot ahead of them. "Hey, Cana, Erza, Juvia! Guys, come here!" She waved her arms wildly, a face-splitting grin directed to a busty brunette, tall redhead, and a girl with hair a couple shades darker than Levy's.

The redhead patted Levy on the head affectionately, hugging her when Levy let out a squawk of indignation. "What is it, Levy?" she asked, smiling slightly.

"It's too damn early in the morning to be so goddamn happy," the brunette grumbled, earning a light smack from Erza.

"It's already eight, Cana," she said, frowning.

"Exactly! It's way too early."

"But—"

"We're not all crazy athletic and wake up before the crack of dawn like you, Erza!" Erza scowled, shooting Cana a deadly glare. The girl immediately backed down. "Alright, alright, I was joking, sheesh." Cana turned away from Erza (more specifically, her glare) and looked at Levy. "What do you want to tell us, shortie?"

Surprisingly, Levy ignored the slight towards her height, and she yelled excitedly, "I'm going to Fairy Tail, guys!"

Juvia quickly jumped up and down, grabbing Levy's hands and twirling her around. "Wonderful! Juvia is so excited to have all her friends go with her to the same school. Maybe Juvia and Gray-sama and Levy and Gajeel can all go on a date together!" She clapped her hands together, eyes glazing over as she lost herself in a fantasy involving Gray and his "rock-solid abs."

"Oh ho-ho-ho-ho!" Cana chortled her dark eyes glinting dangerously. "That's right, I heard Gajeel got accepted to Fairy Tail, too! I wonder... is this why you applied to Fairy Tail? So you can see him again for the next four years?" Her eyebrows waggled. Oh, the intrigue!

Levy groaned, throwing her arms up in annoyance. "Ugh, why do I even bother with you guys?"

Lucy chuckled as Cana began to pester Levy with hypothetical scenarios that might happen between her and Gajeel in Fairy Tail. When Cana reached the ultimate level of fangirling, earning her odd looks from fellow schoolmates, Lucy's eyes twitched in irritation. "Cana, why?" Lucy groaned.

Cana's grin widened and locked Levy's head under her arms. "I'm trying to open this idiotic genius' eyes, Lulu! She needs to be enlightened of her little crush on him." Levy cursed, trying her best to escape from Cana's grip to no avail.

Erza sighed, deciding to be the adult in the situation and separating the two. "Thank you, Erza," Levy said. "Finally someone who agrees with me!"

Erza shrugged casually. "Who said I didn't think you have a crush on Redfox?"

Laughter reverberated throughout the hallways, with a few curses following behind.

* * *

"I am so _proud_ of you all!" Mavis, the Dean of Students of Magnolia Academy and homeroom teacher of Class A of the senior class, sniffed, wiping away a nonexistent tear from her eyes. "I remember when y'all were just about yea high, and I was taller than most of you!" Chuckles followed her statement, and Lucy exchanged grins with Levy from across the gym. "I know it's only three months until graduation, but still! This class has been one of the most memorable in all my years here in Magnolia—" Mavis paused, quickly counting her fingers, "—which, now that I think about it, is only twelve years, but that's beside the point!"

She waved her hand as if to erase her previous words. "You've all worked hard to get where you are right now, which is why these next couple months would consist of pure fun." The class cheered excitedly, some even jumping out of their seats. "... with a little bit of work of course, but it's only so the lower classes won't get jealous."

"Who cares?" a guy yelled, though who it was was lost on Lucy. "We're less than three months from leaving, might as well have fun, right?"

Mavis chuckled, and her eyes landed on Erza. The two nodded at each other and Mavis turned her attention back to the senior class. "Let's have our class president elaborate."

Erza, in all her graceful glory, practically glided down the bleachers and into the stand, the entire class keeping quiet out of respect. "In our previous years, the senior classes have always done something fun that involved the entire school as an attempt to leave a lasting impression. That, and to simply have fun with others." She paused to grin at her fellow students. "In freshman year, the seniors held a masquerade ball. Next year was a haunted house. Our junior year... they held a maid cafe." Snickers rose up from the boys, but were immediately cut off with a single glare.

"Now, the senior officers and I had originally been planning to undertake this task by ourselves, but we felt it best to involve the entire senior class instead." She stared deeply into each of their eyes. "Since we are a unique class, we must have a unique plan as well- one that is as memorable as we all are." Her stare pierced each and every one of their souls, some of whom began to sweat from the weight of Erza's stare. "So... any suggestions?" Silence followed as Lucy's classmates exchanged furtive glances— that is, until someone yelled a suggestion. The class lost it then.

"Movie night!"

"Lame! My sister did that in her school and—"

"Actually, it's not a bad idea..."

"We should have a fashion show!"

"That's too girly, we need a manly—"

"Stop being so misogynistic, Elfman—"

"I am _not_ —!"

"Ooh, we should have a music concert, except we should have people sign up for it!"

"You mean a talent show...?"

"Hunger Games! Omigod, we should _totally_ do a simulation of that or something."

" _Yassss_ , role playing would be so much fun!"

"Fuck that, you guys want to kill those little freshmen?"

"Well..."

"AHHH, A BONFIRE GUYS!"

"No, that should be for our senior getaway—"

"What about something with food, then?"

"A cooking competition?"

"No, an eating contest! Pies—"

"—hot dogs—"

"—spaghetti—"

"—kimchi!"

"...what the hell is that?"

"What about a culture festival?" Lucy piped up, her voice reverberating throughout the gym and earning everyone's attention.

"A culture festival?"

"What's that?"

"A festival sounds fun!"

"Won't that be too general?"

"It's perfect for different events, actually. Great idea, Lucy, we should do that!"

"What should we do?"

Erza cleared her throat, gesturing for the blonde to come up to the podium. "Lucy, would you like to elaborate?"

Lucy shrugged before walking down to the podium and replacing Erza's spot. "When I went to school in Japan, I helped one of the older sons of my host family set up for one of the culture festivals in his school." A fond smile made its way on her face. "Now, culture festivals are very popular activities for schools in Japan to showcase their academia and talents, but more often than not, they're geared more towards their students than possible attendees. Which is why I proposed this," Lucy said with a grin. "Culture festivals itself are a ton of fun, but it's so much better when everyone helps set up. We'd get to cover almost every topic from an eating contest to a battle of the bands and heck, even a mini-Hunger Games simulation! The possibilities are endless!"

"That'd be a lot of work," a husky voice said, and Lucy's brown eyes clashed with cold, onyx ones. "We only have two weeks to set it up, and just getting volunteers to join in takes that much time." The pink-haired male rolled his eyes. "Can't you think for once, Heartfilia?" An awkward silence filled the gym, some of the students shifting uncomfortably, knowing the inveterate enmity between the two students.

"You don't have to be so harsh, Flamebrain," Gray hissed, glaring at his friend, but Natsu ignored him, his eyes still drilling into Lucy.

Lucy laughed lightly. "You have a point there, Dragneel, which is why _everyone_ should work hard together." She winked at him. "And that shouldn't be so hard— especially since you're the _epitome_ of teamwork... isn't that right, Dragneel?" A few _oohs_ broke the tension in the room.

A hand squeezed Lucy's shoulder lightly, and Lucy turned to see Erza smiling at her. "Good job, Lucy," she whispered. "I'll take it from here."

Lucy nodded, her walk back to her previous seat being lauded with everyone's applause and compliments.

 _But it all couldn't lift the burden of the one onyx-eyed glare boring into her back._

* * *

"I cannot believe the nerve of that guy!" Levy seethed, her fists clenching in anger. "Ugh, who does he think he is?! Just because you're the senator's grandson and control half of Fiore's energy production doesn't give you the right harass people!"

Lucy patted the irate girl's head in an attempt to assuage her temper. "Levy, calm down, it wasn't that bad."

" _Not that bad_?! He practically humiliated you in front of everyone—"

Lucy scoffed, crossing her arms in an arrogant manner. "Excuse me, McGarden, but I think I handled that with the grace of a _queen_."

Cana chuckled, placing her elbow on Levy's head. "She has a point there, shortie. Lucy _slayed_ his arrogant ass."

"Lucy did a great job, too, with her idea!" Juvia piped up. "Juvia has never heard about a culture festival!"

"Yeah, I didn't know you went to school in Japan." Cana gave her friend a curious look.

"It was only for a couple of months," Lucy said.

Cana nodded sagely. "Was he cute?"

Lucy choked on her spit. "What?" she squeaked, eyes wide.

"That guy." Cana lifted her arm from Levy's head, waving it wildly. "You know, the one you lived with?"

A bead of sweat rolled down Lucy's neck. "You mean my host family?"

"Sure, if that's what you call it."

"Oh my god, Cana," Lucy groaned, slamming her palm against her forehead. "I was only nine when I went to Japan."

"Uh-huh, sure."

"Unbelievable," Lucy grumbled as Cana placed her arm again on Levy's head.

Levy's eye started to twitch, directing a dark glare towards the taller girl. "Cana," she said slowly.

"What's up, shortie?"

"Stop using my head as an armrest!" Levy exploded, launching herself to latch onto her friend's back. Lucy and Juvia exchanged annoyed glances before they began to extract Levy from Cana, taking no note of the odd stares the eccentric trio would often receive.

* * *

 **Estimated Word Count: 2900+**

 **It's crazy just looking back on my writing and noticing the differences between now and then. Oh god, the most cringe-worthy thing is I barely improved despite the years XD This was written back in 2015, folks, and I honestly think that despite all the cringe and contrived silliness in this one chapter, it's better than most of what I can produce nowadays. God, the horror ahahaha XD**


	2. Ch 2: I Loved You Once

**Another (LOOONG OVERDUE) chapter with my second-rate writing from a younger me. I've been deliberating whether or not to continue this story for days before forgetting about it for nearly a year (oops), but considering that you all were so kind and thoughtful to write 6 reviews on the first chapter, I thought, "You know... I should probably update this story."**

 **On that note, please enjoy XD**

* * *

"I said to the _left_ , you damned idiot!" Gray took a couple steps back upon seeing Erza's nose flare rather violently when Natsu started tying the banner a bit off center. Had Gray not hated Natsu as much as he did, he would've almost felt sorry for him.

 _Almost._

"Okay, okay, geez." Natsu grabbed the banner's string, fumbling with the knot as he attempted to untie it. Deep in concentration ( _from untying a goddamn knot, for fuck's sakes,_ Gray thought in frustration), Natsu took no notice as his grip on the ladder loosened- that is, until the ladder teetered when he leaned a little bit _too_ much. "Holy shit!" Natsu cursed, turning a light green before hanging onto the ladder for dear life. Tight eyelids opened to reveal wary onyx, and Gray couldn't help but snicker at Natsu's timid expression.

Almost immediately, as if Gray's laughter set off the hate alarms now deeply ingrained in Natsu's small brain, Natsu's eyes hardened, and he glared down at his rival laughing at his expense. "Gray!" he roared angrily. "You were supposed to hold it steady!"

"It's not my fault you're clumsier than an amputee!" Gray said, only to be smacked viciously in the head by a ticked-off Erza.

"That was insensitive, Gray," she said dangerously, her glinting eyes prompting a sniveling apology from the terrified teen.

Sometime during the short exchange, Natsu had somehow overcome his terror and climbed down the ladder- carefully this time- to have a _nice_ word or two with Erza. "I don't understand why _I_ have to do this and not that good-for-nothing idiot."

' _Speak for yourself, you_ hypocrite,' Gray thought, his eye twitching.

"You were a complete ass to Lucy!" Erza snapped in response, crossing her arms and widening her stance as she looked down on her longtime friend. "I think you deserve a little manual labor over the humiliation you put her through yesterday."

Natsu rolled his eyes, refusing to meet Erza's heated glare. "It wasn't _too_ bad. Besides, she's an idiot! She probably didn't register the fact that I insulted her." Gray rolled his eyes, his hand itching towards the other boy's throat, but a hand gripped his wrist, nearly pulling his arm from its socket.

" _Gray_ ," Erza hissed, eyes alight with warning.

Scoffing, Gray turned his head, retrieving his arm from Erza and crossing them across his chest. "Pot meet kettle," he grumbled, staying tame so as not to incur Erza's wrath.

Natsu threw his arms in the air. "Why do you guys even defend her so much?"

"She's our friend," Erza replied. "So I'd appreciate it if you'd treat her like a civil human being for once."

Like a switch had been flipped, the dark coals of Natsu's eyes darkened in anger, pupils dilated and almost animalistic in appearance. His muscles tensed as he gritted his teeth, nostrils flaring. His breathing increased in speed and intensity, and he seemed to be lost in his thoughts. "Human?" Natsu repeated, letting out a chilling laugh. "No; she and her father are _monsters_." The resounding slap echoed throughout the gym, ceasing the lively activities that had been buzzing about five seconds prior.

"Don't you _dare_ ," Gray hissed, his hand in front of him, now in a defensive position, "call Lucy that."

Snapping out of her momentary, wide-eyed stupor, Erza stepped in between the two, quickly pulling them away from the gym and away from prying eyes. Once outside, Natsu angrily rounded on Gray, eyes wild with raw anger. He moved to punch his rival across the face for a taste of his own medicine, but once again, Erza intervened, grabbing Natsu's wrist before his fist could meets its target.

"Will you stop?" Erza roared, pushing the two away in a safe distance. Turning to Gray, she said, "Gray, I expected more from you. How many times have I told you not to resort to violence, even if it _is_ Natsu goading you?"

"Oi, what do you mean-"

" _And you_!" The protest immediately died in Natsu's throat, and he flinched, covering his face with his arms. "Natsu Dragneel, what is your problem?" Erza angrily stabbed her finger against Natsu's shoulder, eyes blazing. "Why do you hate Lucy so much, huh? You two were _friends_ , for god's sakes, you know she's far from being a monster."

There was a silence until another empty laugh escaped Natsu's mouth, and his hand fell limply against his side. His pink hair covered his eyes, much to his gratefulness, not wanting his friends to see the emotions building up in them. "You don't understand," he whispered. "You never will. Not until you see the Heartfilias for who they truly are." With that, he turned around, the back of his hand brushing across his face, and he left his friends standing in stupefied silence.

* * *

 _Little ten-year-old Natsu Dragneel was a force to be reckoned with._ _With that wide, mischievous smile on his face, there was nothing, Natsu felt, that could stop him from conquering the world._

 _Not with the little blonde girl by his side._

 _"Lisanna!" he cried, pointing his wooden sword to the furthest corner of the playground. "We must save Lucy from the evil wizard Gray!"_

 _A head of shaggy dark hair_ _popped up from the nearby rails, and dark eyes glared at his two friends, one of whom was busy giggling behind the palm of her hand. "Why am I the villain here?" he shouted. "Why can't Lucy be the evil mage?" He pointed angrily at the blonde hiding behind the tic-tac-toe board._

 _"She's too pretty to be evil!" Natsu shouted back, glaring at the black-haired boy, incensed that he dare imply that Lucy was ugly._

 _"Are you calling me ugly, Fire Breath?!"_

 _"What was that?!"_

" _Fire. Breath," Gray said, enunciating his words with an accent similar to Natsu's own to anger the young boy._

 _"Shut up, Ice Princess!"_

 _"Hot Head!"_

 _"Cold JERK!"_

 _Lisanna and Lucy gasped, the blonde having begun to sneak behind Natsu to surprise him while he argued with Gray. "Where did you hear that word, Natsu?" Lucy shrieked, crossing her arms._

 _Natsu yelped, brandishing his sword threateningly towards the girl. "Lucy!" he whined when he recognized his friend, stomping his foot. "Why'd ya have to surprise me like that?!"_

 _Lisanna joined her new friend by her side, mirroring her stance. "Yeah, Natsu, that's a bad word," she piped up, frowning at him._

 _Natsu looked between them, face paling rapidly when he saw the serious faces of the two. "You're not kidding?" he yelled. The two somberly nodded, and Natsu's bottom lip began to tremble._ " _B-but_ _it was an_ accident! _You can't tell anyone else! Especially not_ E-Erza _, she'll kill me!_ " _Natsu blubbered, the gathering tears in his eyes slipping through._

 _The two girls stared at him blankly, unable to comprehend why the boy in front of them was crying so hard. They exchanged guilty glances and looked to Gray, who looked up at them with a sheepish look. "Gray," Lisanna whispered, "why is Nat crying?"_

 _"Because he's an idiot!" he declared, and taking a few steps backwards, he ran, picking up speed before propelling his body up to the platform his friends were on. "Oi, Ugly Betty! If you don't stop crying, I'll tell Erza-"_

 _Natsu looked up immediately, the glare directed at Gray losing its potency due to his puffy eyes and the tear tracks that trailed down his face. "You wouldn't dare, Elsa!"_

 _The shock on Gray's face was absolutely comical, and Lucy and Lisanna burst out laughing. "Elsa?!" Gray repeated, balling his fists. "That movie hasn't even come out yet!" He stomped his foot in frustration, his bottom lip jutting out. "For all you know, she could be a cool person!"_

 _"No way, she's way too girly with her ice powers-"_

 _"Ice_ is _cool_ , _stupid_!"

 _Lucy and Lisanna looked at each other again, giggling. "Ice really_ is _**cool** ," Lucy whispered, and the two girls cracked._

 _For a moment, Natsu and Gray stopped fighting, turning to watch the two girls die of laughter. "What the heck's so funny!" Natsu hollered, frowning when the girls only dissolved into more hysterical laughter._

 _"I-I thought only Natsu was stupid," Lisanna said, earning an indignant yell from her friend._

 _"But I guess Gray is too!" Lucy chimed in, and once more, the two dissolved into a fit of giggles- so much so that they found themselves unable to breathe. Gray and Natsu only watched, confused, until the girls' infectious laughter finally caught on._

 _They were best friends, and nothing, they felt, could ever tear them apart._

* * *

Lucy allowed Levy to pull her towards the gym, where a certain number of seniors were chosen to decorate it for the school rally on the Monday two weeks before Spring Fever Week. As the one who had suggested the idea of a festival, Lucy was required to be there, but Levy-her dear, sweet, _boss_ y friend Levy- insisted she come with in case "the assbutt Natsu" was there as well.

Lucy knew her true intentions.

 _Buuuut_ she'll save it for another day.

"The Spring Rallies are always fun!" Levy squealed. "The seniors always made it so much fun before, and now it's our turn!" Her grip tightened on Lucy's arm. "Lu, the decor would be so awesome! Imagine the little freshmen's faces when they see our artistic prowess! Imagine the sophomores' shock and disbelief when they realize that we one-upped the seniors' idea from last year! Imagine the inspiration we'll invoke in the juniors and the subsequent excitement for next year!" She grabbed both of the blonde's hands, twirling her around. "Lucy, share my excitement!"

"You're crazy," someone said from behind them.

"Hey, Cana," Lucy greeted, gently holding Levy back from launching herself onto Cana _again_. "Sorry about her, you know how excited she gets whenever she'll see Gajeel again."

"Lucy!"

"Good point." Cana laughed, ignoring Levy's whine. She slung her arms around her friends' shoulders, guiding them towards the gymnasium.

"How's the prep so far?" Lucy asked.

"Pretty good." Cana paused, her lips pursing. "Though Natsu and Gray got in another fight."

"Why am I not surprised?" Lucy muttered, shaking her head.

"Yeah, but it seemed pretty intense this time." Lucy's eyebrows raised, prompting Cana to continue. "Gray started the fight."

Levy whistled softly. "That serious, huh?" she commented. "Do you know what they fought about this time?"

Cana sent Lucy a sideways glance. "Actually, yeah, I think I do."

Lucy frowned, pointing to herself. "You think it's about me?!"

Cana shrugged. "Well, yeah. I mean, Natsu, for one, humiliated you-"

"-it wasn't even that bad-"

"-and everyone knows Gray likes you-"

Lucy physically recoiled in shock. "Oh, gross, no! He only thinks of me as his sister, Cana!"

"Well, he certainly likes you enough to start a fight with Natsu _in front of Erza,_ " Cana said. "And I thought you didn't associate with Natsu or his friends." She paused. "Well, besides Erza."

Lucy sighed. "We were friends once," she admitted, and Levy and Cana gaped at her in shock.

"What?" Levy said, eyes wide. "And you never told me this?"

"I'm sorry, Lev, but I figured that you might hate Natsu more than you actually do now."

"Only because it's justified!" Levy snapped. "He's a snobbish, rich-ass, arrogant jerk who thinks he owns _everything._ So yeah, I think it's okay for me to _not_ like Natsu."

Lucy hesitated, stopping a few meters from the gym's entrance. "I understand why you don't like him Levy. _I_ don't even like him, and we've been friends before we became each other's enemies. But... but I think we should also keep in mind that Natsu didn't always have such a happy life."

"What, did he lose his golden train when he was a kid and decided that he had the worst life ever?"

"He lost a lot more than a toy train." A small smile made its way on her face despite herself. "Just... don't hate him as much? Please? For me?" She directed _the look_ towards Levy, who shifted uncomfortably.

"Damn you, Lucy Heartfilia!" Levy hissed and stomped away, arms crossed around her chest.

Cana blinked at the two in shock. "What just happened? I thought that look only worked on boys?"

Lucy grinned. "It does. But I showed Gajeel the same technique, and he's been shooting Levy that look every session they had since then."

"Oh ho-ho-ho-ho! Lucy, you're an evil genius! Switching up those traditional roles of gender, eh?"

"Shut up, Cana, you'll never be a Canadian!" Levy hollered.

"I wasn't trying to be one, you idiotic shortie!"

"Shut up, drunkard!"

"Levy, you promised not to say a thing!" Cana ran after the girl, causing Lucy to stare helplessly after them, wondering when the two had developed such a similar relationship to Gray and Natsu's.

Before she stepped into the gym, Lucy saw a figure coming her way, cursing to himself. Immediately recognizing the bright pink hair, she hid behind one of the nearby pillars that supported the gym's awning.

"Fucking Gray and Erza," Natsu hissed to himself. "Nothing. They know nothing." He took a deep breath, sinking on one of the steps- just a few meters from where Lucy stood. The two stayed there for a while, neither wanting to move- Lucy, because she was petrified, and Natsu, because he needed some time to himself. "Fucking Lucy," he suddenly said, and the girl herself winced. "Why did we even become friends?" He stood up, eyes dark, kicking one of the steps out of his spite for the girl. "Lucy Heartfilia, you will rue the day you decided to force yourself into my life and betray me afterwards." He left with an unstable gait- likely from hurting his toe- leaving the poor girl standing stock-still against the pillar, tears in her eyes.

She didn't know how long she had been standing there. But she found herself not caring as she stared at the spot Natsu had preoccupied moments before, wondering how they had changed from such close friends to _this_.

* * *

 **Word approximation: just a little over 2300 words**

 **One final note: I HOPE YOU GUYS HAD A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS/HOLIDAY SO FAR!**


	3. Ch 3: Preparations

**So I was browsing through my old stories and found this chapter done and completed and I thought, "Huh. I didn't post this?" I felt bad since it'd been a long time since I last updated this story so here it is!**

 **Also, expect an update regarding my WIPs on my account profile sometime next week! Thanks y'all for supporting me even after all this time! :)**

* * *

Everyone steered clear of the pacing redhead whose fierce expression froze all who were unlucky enough to see it. Levy and Cana exchanged nervous glances, one pushing the other to come forward and ask Erza what was bothering her. "You do it," Levy hissed.

"Hell no! I think she's still mad with what I said about her morning routine."

"That was two weeks ago!" Levy groaned, smacking her palm against her face. She began to look around, searching desperately for a certain blonde. "Lucy, where are you, we need your help."

"What's wrong with Erza?" a heavenly voice asked, nearly prompting the two girls to fall on their knees in gratitude.

"Lucy!" they cried, wrapping their arms around her torso.

Lucy awkwardly hugged them back, confusion clear on her eyes. "You alright there, guys?"

"We need your help," Cana said, pointing to Erza who was now glaring at a poor freshman who had unwittingly crossed her path.

"Um... why don't you guys do it instead?"

"I tried!" Levy said. "But she just glared at me instead."

"Levy, I'm disappointed," Lucy teased. "I thought you'd be a bit braver than that."

"It's Erza! Besides, you've known her longer, you do it."

"Scaredy-cats." The two bristled at the insult, but Lucy was already walking towards Erza, and there was no way they'd stop her for that.

Safety over pride, ladies and gents.

"Erza!" Lucy sang, and everyone within the vicinity froze, gaping at the blonde and wondering if she was either really brave or actually really stupid, her ranking of being second in their class be damned. Her arms wrapped around the redhead's torso, and everyone's eyes bulged out of their sockets. Her head snuggled against Erza's shoulders, eyes wide and pleading. "Is everything alright?" Lucy asked with a pout, and everyone with a working heart in the area melted at the sight.

Erza stared down at her friend blankly before gently prying the blonde's arms away from her body. She pinched her nose in frustration. "I messed up an order," she admitted. Everyone listening in on the conversation gasped— that is, until Erza sent all of them a glare, to which they all turned back to their assigned jobs.

"Oh no!" Lucy said, her eyes widening comically and her hand covering her mouth in a dramatic manner. " _Pourquoi_?"

"Because I was an idiot!" Erza huffed, throwing her arms in the air. Her brown eyes squinted at the blonde, taking in her maudlin stance. "Lucy, what the hell are you doing? You look like a melodramatic dumbass."

Lucy flippantly waved the remark away, saying, "I'm not Natsu, Erza. Please don't insult me in such a degrading manner." Erza's mouth twitched despite herself. Lucy immediately straightened, her eyes alight as she gave Erza a two-fingered salute. "Anyways, I am here to offer you my services!" Anyone still eavesdropping fainted, now lost in their own perverted imaginations.

A tick appeared on Erza's forehead, and the redhead once again pinched her nose. "Did you really have to say it that way...? Ah, anyways, yes, I _do_ need your help." Lucy nodded, allowing Erza to continue. "So, the custom balloons I ordered turned out to be complete crap—"

"You can customize balloons?"

"—and I panicked and looked everywhere for new balloons, and I saw that there was a sale in one store, and the balloons there were being sold for a really cheap price, and I bought all of them, and now I don't know what to do with them!" Erza wailed before pausing to cough delicately. Gaining her composure, she continued in a cool voice, "And yes, you can customize balloons. There's a website for that."

"You know we can just draw on the balloons _after_ blowing them up?"

With her hair now covering her face, Erza's reaction to Lucy's idea was still pending, and everyone held their breaths, leaning forward in anticipation. In one dramatic swoop, Erza flipped the hair out of her face, her eyes shining with gratitude. Her arms wrapped around Lucy, and the poor girl choked from the sudden lack of air that had been cut off due to the dangerous death grip of Erza's hug. "Lucy," she whispered, "I am forever indebted to you."

Somehow managing to pat her friend in return, Lucy whispered back, "N-no problem, Erza." The redhead only tightened her hold, and Lucy released an odd sound reminiscent of a goose on its way to the chopping block. Her head turned toward Cana and Levy, her arm slowly stretching out to them in a desperate plea. "H-help me..."

"Erza, what are you doing to Lucy? You're choking her half to death," a deep voice— now Lucy's savior— said. Distracted, Erza loosened her grip on Lucy as she turned towards the male, and now free to do whatever she wanted, Lucy mirrored her actions.

"Jellal!" Lucy sniffed, recognizing the man standing before them. "Thank you so much for saving my life." The blue-haired male only grinned back.

Erza blinked as she gave the man a sideways— awkward, _super_ awkward— hug, asking, "Fernandes, what are you doing here?"

Jellal only shrugged, eyes straying to the people covertly watching them and smiling in return. "Mira said you needed her help for the festival, but that she was too sick to go and asked if I could go in her stead."

Erza frowned. "But she sounded fine when I asked her..."

"You know how Mira is."

"Not really. She's crazy," Erza muttered under her breath as she thought of her enemy-but-kind-of-friend

Jellal threw his head back and laughed. "So are you!" he teased, poking her gently in the ribs. At the soft laugh from Erza, a familiar evil expression made its way on Lucy's face, and she exchanged mischievous looks with Cana. Execution of Operation GEWJ commencing in 3, 2, 1...

"Erza, you're a great artist!" Lucy said, Cana suddenly by her side. "Plus you know what kind of design you want on the balloons, so why don't you work on the balloons with Jellal?"

"Why don't you help me instead?" Erza retorted, seeing through their plans immediately.

"I'm rubbish at art, and besides, Jellal's an art major," Lucy said.

"Art _history_ —" Jellal interjected.

Speaking over Jellal as if she hadn't heard him, Lucy continued, "Levy, Cana, and I can overlook the other jobs for you while you two... get some supplies and draw. Don't worry about us. I'm the one with more experience with cultural festivals, after all."

Erza's eye twitched, annoyed at herself that she was so easily beaten by Lucy's flawless and cutthroat logic. ' _Damn you, Lucy Heartfilia!_ ' she thought. Turning to Jellal, she sighed, gesturing for her to follow him. "Come on Jellal, balloons are in my car."

"Roger that, milady."

"... call me that again, and I'll tickle you to death."

"Aww, Erza, you don't mean that~!"

Lucy and Cana whooped once the couple were no longer withing hearing range, giving each other high fives. "Go flight, Operation GEWJ has taken off!" Lucy crowed.

Levy eyed her friends. "Um, first off, what's Operation GEWJ? Second, Lucy, you do realize that you volunteered us to basically babysit the _entire_ senior class?"

"... Oh, shit."

* * *

"Why do you insist on making my life hell, Fullbuster?" Natsu groused, glaring at the passing buildings. "I really do not wanna— glurgh." Natsu's sentence garbled considerably when Gray pressed on the gas pedal despite the speed bump close by. "What the fuck, porn star, drive carefully! I don't wanna get in any accidents, dammit!"

"Maybe that's what I'm trying to do," Gray said under his breath, giving Natsu a dirty sideways glance.

"What was that, stripper?!

"You heard me, stinky breath." Checking to make sure there were no incoming cars, Gray jerked the steering wheel to make a hard turn, the car's occupants moving harshly along with the force. Natsu cursed, grabbing hold of his seat.

"What the fuck, Gray!"

"We're late," he sang, a wide, insane smile on his face.

"So what?! I'd rather face Erza's wrath than die?!"

"Same difference!"

Natsu opened his mouth to retort before his eyes darted to the side, wide and panicked. "Oi, dumbass, you're going to miss the turn!"

"Oh, will I?" Gray asked lightly before pressing the gas pedal once more and making a sharp turn. Not soon after, Natsu fainted. ' _Final-fucking-ly,'_ Gray thought, rolling his eyes. ' _Some peace and quiet._ ' He slowed down, finally matching the speed limit. His eyes strayed to the clock, cursing when he realized that they were thirty minutes late. "Erza's going to kill us," he whined and shot the unconscious boy next to him another dirty look. "Fucking Natsu and his hair. Who does he think he is, Justin fuckin' Bieber?" He paused before sighing. "I shouldn't curse so much... dammit, Natsu, you dumbass, I hang out with you too fucking much."

Five minutes later, Gray arrived in the large parking lot of their school, and still in a mean mood, he played the loudest and most annoying song he could find and placed it directly on Natsu's ear. Jerking away, Natsu flailed his arms, screaming like a little girl and cursing like a sailor. Gray grasped his stomach, doubling over in laughter. "What the hell, Gray?!"

"We're here, flame brain. Let's go, we shouldn't have wasted this much time." Natsu grumbled, fumbling with his seat belt, and upon throwing Gray's precious car door open rather carelessly, spilled out onto the ground in a unceremonious heap. "You deserve that," Gray said, hurriedly inspecting the door that very nearly scratched the car nearby. "I shouldn't have taken you with me," he whined when he saw the small scratch across his very new and very badass paint job.

"You shouldn't have offered," Natsu retorted.

"Grandine asked me to!" ' _Plus, she scares me_ ,' Gray added— but no way would he admit that to Natsu of all people. "Hey, airhead, where the fuck are you going?"

"Isn't setup at the gym?"

His eye twitched. "Do you really expect that we'd hold a fucking festival in the gym? Especially when we have a game tonight, too?"

"Oh yeah..." Shaking his head, Natsu turned to Gray. "Then where's setup, huh? Oi, Gray, I'm talking to you!"

"I honestly wish you weren't. Just hearing your voice lowers my IQ."

"Good thing it isn't very high, you haven't got much to lose." At that, Gray whirled around, a lazy smile on his face.

"Goodness, Natsu, did whatever came out of your mouth actually make sense?" Gray widened his eyes before leaning in conspiratorially, whispering, "Have you been... _reading?_ " By now, the two were practically at each other's throats, teeth bared as if they were dogs fighting over territory.

"Yeah, got a problem with that, pansy pants?"

"Why you—"

"Hey Gray, Natsu! Are you here to help Erza out with setup?" a familiar voice asked, and upon hearing Erza's name, the two friends— enemies, frenemies, whatever the hell they were— separated, their arms around each other in a fake display of affection.

"Hey, Jellal, how are you?" Gray said, waving his free arm.

"Hey, Erza, fancy seeing you here!" Natsu said in tandem to Gray, the smile on his face practically cracking it into two.

Erza's eyebrows rose, crossing her arms as her eyes narrowed. "You were supposed to be here thirty minutes ago."

"Oh, you know, traffic and all that," Gray said, forcing himself to laugh as he squeezed Natsu's shoulders, keeping in mind the scratches the pink-haired male got from his little tumble from earlier.

"Aw, Erza, give 'em a break." The two boys inwardly cheered when Erza's glare softened, praising and thanking Jellal and his angelic patience.

"Besides, you can always make them run an extra lap or two during practice tomorrow."

Never mind angel, the man was the devil himself! The two boys hugged each other when Erza and Jellal gave them both wide, saccharine smiles. "Anyways, Erza and I have to deal with some decor mishaps. You should check in with—"

"Jellal," Erza interrupted, tossing him the keys to her black Audi, "can you start my car and bring it to the front? I need to talk to these idiots for a bit."

"Sure thing."

' _Wait, don't leave, Jellal, we need you!_ ' But Gray's mental pleas were unheard, and both he and Natsu were left with Erza. "Is something wrong, Erza?" Erza didn't reply, her eyes focused on Natsu, who began to sweat bullets. ' _Thank the lord this isn't about me..._ ' Gray thought.

"Natsu," Erza began, her voice as sharp as steel. "I expect you to be in your best behavior." She neared the boy like a predator on the hunt. "Lucy's in charge and if I hear that you give her any headaches, there will be hell to pay, Dragneel." She emphasized her words, grabbing Natsu's collar and shaking him for good measure. "You will listen to her every word. You will be _civil_ to her, just this once. And you will not ruin any of the work we all put in this afternoon. Do you understand that, Dragneel, or should I come down to your level of communication and punch you in the face instead?" Gray whistled at Erza's threat, seeing full well that she truly deserved the awe and respect she received.

"Fine," Natsu grumbled and shook her off him.

"Good." Erza turned to Gray, the glint in her eyes much softer. "Gray, I expect that you keep him disciplined."

He saluted her almost playfully. "You got it, class prez."

Rolling her eyes, Erza muttered, "Idiots," and walked away. "Natsu, Gray, I'll see you soon."

Gray fought off the grin and insult waiting at the back of his tongue, knowing that it would only worsen Natsu's mood. "Come on, Squinty Eyes, you heard Erza."

As soon as they reached the field, Gray's eyebrow raised, amazed at the progress everyone accomplished in thirty minutes. Scanning the field, he spotted Lucy with a clipboard, her two friends, McGarden and Alberona, by her side, not far from where he and Natsu were. "Lucy!" he called, waving his arm lazily in greeting. "Need any help?"

"Gray!" Lucy said, grinning. "Nice to see you here." She paused, finally seeing Natsu behind him, and forced an uneasy smile in his direction. "Dragneel. So, um, right now..." She flipped through the papers in her hands, eyebrows furrowing in concentration. "Alrighty, so Sol and Juvia are setting up the pool for the Water Olympics. Wanna help them out with that?"

Gray shrugged. "Yeah sure."

"If they don't need the extra help, you can always come back here." Gray nodded, walking past her towards the cluster of classrooms where the pool was near by. Lucy turned to Natsu, her eyes still furrowed. "Dragneel, Bisca and Alzack need help with..." She paused again, her eyes zeroing in on one duty that yet needed to be fulfilled. "Okay, never mind that. So I need someone to work with the pyrotechnics for the fireworks show. Gajeel, Jet, Droy, and Levy will be setting up the platform for the fireworks once shot put is done practicing, but we've still got a spot for setting up the fireworks themselves. I know you're really good with timing, considering your drumming background, and we need someone who can really help with how the fireworks show goes, too. The thing is, we're planning to have it at the end of the festival, so you might have to work a little overtime. Willing to give it a go?"

Natsu shrugged, placing his hands behind his head. "Yeah sure. Will I be doing it with someone else?"

Taking a deep breath, Lucy nodded. "Yeah. Me."


End file.
